NADA returns to New Orleans and celebrates its centennial

NADA returns to New Orleans and celebrates its centennial

The NADA Convention in New Orleans marked the start of the 100th anniversary celebration of Americaês franchised new-car dealer organization.

–NADA is still as strong and relevant as the day it was founded,” said 2016 NADA Chairman Jeff Carlson. –NADAês mission for 100 years has been to represent local dealerships and our customers in Washington, DC, with a goal of keeping personal transportation affordable for everyone.” Carlson, a Colorado dealer, pointed out that for the past 15 years, more than 90 percent of all new car and truck dealerships in the United States have been NADA members.

Founded in 1917, NADA formed when a group of dealers from across the U.S. set out to fight an effort by Congress to levy a luxury tax on new cars. Thirty dealers from state and local dealer associations assembled in Washington including dealers from WANADA that had just been formed setting up at the Willard Hotel. By convincing Congress that cars were not luxury items as they were classified, but instead were vital to the economy, the group prevented total factory conversion to wartime work and succeeded in reducing a proposed 5 percent luxury tax to 3 percent.

The incident was the first of many chapters where American dealerships fought to keep new vehicles affordable for their customers.

–Dealers argued in 1917 that cars are a necessity of American life, not a luxury item,” said 2017 Chairman Mark Scarpelli. –NADA was formed to make sure that entrepreneurs could open local dealerships and provide affordable cars and transportation to farmers, factory workers and people from all walks of life.”

Itês a mission worth celebrating and thatês just what dealers from around the country (and the world) did at the NADA Convention in New Orleans Jan. 26-30. More than 23,000 dealers and their managers attended, including many international dealers, automaker executives and exhibitor staff. More than 600 auto dealer vendors and contractors packed the Convention Exposition, who were amply complemented by 40 workshop sessions in the Convention Center, covering 61 timely dealer management topics.

NADAês top priorities for 2017, as articulated by Scarpelli, include advocating on legislative and regulatory issues in Washington, promoting the consumer benefits of local dealerships, meeting with auto manufacturer executives and getting the next generation of dealers involved in their national organization on Capitol Hill in DC.

–Weêre advocating for clarity with the new administration and Congress, whether itês related to auto financing, new tax proposals, vehicle recall policy or fuel economy rules,” Scarpelli said. –Weêre concerned about vehicle affordability for consumers, period. We have to make sure we keep our customers top of mind when dealing with all of these issues.”

NADAês public policy initiatives are aimed at protecting consumers from overreaching federal regulations that can hamper the industry, thereby setting back car buyers and car owners.